Irish, Scottish, folk, and country music from many different neighbourhoods, and sometimes, from behind the scenes

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

four ideas: songwriting

* Have a conversation. “I wouldn’t want to co-write with somebody I couldn’t have a good conversation with,” says Grammy award winner Tim O'Brien. Tim O’Brien, The nashville based bluegrass, country, and old time jack of all instruments adds, “Listening to conversations is a good way to get song ideas.”

*Go fishing. Boston based bluesman Chris Smither says, “I don’t always write everyday, but I spend some time in my writing mind, my writing head, every day. It’s like fishing: you have to keep your line out there in the water...”

*Take a nap. “That sounds so bogus,” says Gretchen Peters, whose songs have ben recorded by Faith Hill, Patty Loveless, George Strait, and others. “But when a song a isn’t working, taking a nap is the best thing. I wake up, and a lot of times the solution in right there.”

*Make space. Irish American singer and songwriter Cathie Ryan says “Songs come in all different ways, of course. I had the song In My Tribe come all at once, while I was out hiking in Monument Valley. .I think the reason it came that way is that I was away from all the cell phones and schedules and business you often have to deal with as a musician.”

What are your best tips on the creative process? and do you enjoy this sort of article? please comment below, and thanks.